However Robinson continued to take Brand to task over his claims, adding: “These days he pretends that he’s only ever argued that there’s no one worth voting for, but not very long ago he wrote in the New Statesman – “I will never vote and I don’t think you should either.”

On Tuesday Robinson tweeted a link to the interview, headlining it “My beef with Brand & why I am not impartial about democracy in this election year.

Telling how his German Jewish grandparents were force to flee the Nazis and then later the Communists who took over China, Robinson said: “In this election year I am an unapologetic believer in elections.”

Robinson insisted that while his job was to be impartial when reporting for the BBC, “I am not required to be impartial between democracy and the alternatives. If Auntie ever asked me to I’d refuse or quit the job.”

Reaction to Robinson’s tweet was varied, with many disagreeing with his comments.

Dan Woodrow wrote: “Brand is right. Politics is out of touch, out of date and needs to change.”

Tent101 replied: “Not voting’s an entirely democratic choice. Being obliged to select only from the specific parties offered is Totalitarian.”

@bbcnickrobinson Brand is right. Politics is out of touch out of date and needs to change. The society gap is getting wider smthing has to